Pours out a deep dark black color with an impressively long-lived two finger tan colored foam head with decent amounts of lacing on the glass.

Smells of musty dark charred malts with an earthy emphasis, some light amounts of fruity esters as well appear around the edges as the glass warms up.

Tastes of all of these things and also has a bit of ABV hotness around the edges, some more emphasis is placed on the charred malt over the coffee bitterness in the mouth, finishes reasonably dry. Overall this brew presents a very big and bold flavor profile that uses a garnish of fruit esters to keep things interesting.

Body is the heavier side of medium thickness, but the carbonation is adequate enough to keep things flowing in the mouth despite being heavy. Smooth and rich texture.

A snap of colder weather has me reaching for that stout that's been sitting in the back of my fridge all summer. Best by 5 May 2012 (but it's an imperial stout?). Enjoyed 9 August 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours black, though there are some rays of brown emanating from it. Two-finger light latte head, fades fairly quickly, but some good lacing.

Smell is lovely. Big on the chocolate, backed by coffee - so much of those two, that it's hard to believe they aren't added. A thick layer of sweetness allows everything else to ride a juicy wave of it along.

Taste is rich and dark. Again, it's full of chocolate, but there are lots of other things dancing around behind that. My main complaint is something that I liked about the smell: the sweetness. It's so strong that it tastes artificial (in much the same way that Southern Tier's big stouts do).

Mouthfeel is thick and chewy, just as it should be. Medium-low carbonation.

A good stout, but overly sweet for my tastes, with an odd chemical sweetness that feels fake to me. I get a similar impression from it as I do from adulterated stouts like Southern Tier's Mokah and Jahva.